International Rising Stars: Junior Scientists to Represent Australia in Romania
On Friday 29 November, a ceremony was held to officially announce the team of amazing young science students who have been selected to represent Australia at the 2024 International Junior Science Olympiad in Romania from 2 to 11 December.
Carefully chosen after a rigorous selection process, the Australian team consists of six students who participated in the Junior Science Olympiad (JSO) program throughout 2024, delivered by Australian Science Innovations (ASI).
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- Jaskeerat Arora – Baulkham Hills High School, NSW
- Josiah Levchenko – Gippsland Grammar, VIC
- Alex Ma – Sydney Grammar School, NSW
- Chrysolite Salla – Presbyterian Ladies’ College Sydney, NSW
- Eric Xie – Kelmscott Senior High School, WA
- Owen Zhai – Brisbane State High School, QLD
Students who achieved outstanding results in the Junior Science Olympiad Exam held across Australia in June 2024 were considered for places at the JSO Spring School. During this residential school at the Australian National University in October, 24 students undertake intensive sessions in biology, chemistry and physics, plus other enrichment activities. They gained knowledge, skills and experience in a range of scientific areas, and sat a further qualifying exam to be selected for the team.
The International Junior Science Olympiad is a prestigious global competition, held every year, that brings together the most talented young science students from over 70 countries. Designed for students under the age of 16, it offers an exciting platform to explore and deepen their interest in science.
Participants face challenging theoretical and practical exams across multiple scientific disciplines, encouraging them to think critically, experiment and tackle complex problems. Beyond fostering the development of their scientific skills, the IJSO also provides a unique opportunity for students to meet peers and science experts from diverse backgrounds and immerse themselves in different cultures.
The Team Announcement Ceremony, affectionately known as the ‘blazer ceremony’, is an opportunity to officially announce the Australian team and present them with their team blazers. Held on Friday 29th November 2024 at the Research School of Physics at the Australian National University, the team came together with their families and loved ones, officials and supporters to celebrate their achievements.
A Welcome to Country by Warren Daley, Ngunnawal Elder, gave those in attendance the opportunity to acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the land and welcome other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people attending the event. Whilst Warren joked, “no pressure, just bring back as many medals as you can!”, he reassured the students, “It’s not about winning medals, it’s about representing Australia.”
ASI Executive Director, Vanessa Kates, conducted the proceedings as Master of Ceremonies, congratulating the students and thanking the teams involved, saying “It’s really rewarding to see these talented students, representing Australia on a global stage knowing that we’ve had the privilege of being a small part of that.”
She introduced the attendees to Anna Davis, Chair of the Board of Directors, who gave an inspiring Welcome Address.
Anna congratulated the six students competing in the 21st International Junior Science Olympiad, and discussed the innovative ASI programs they participated in to be selected for the team. “We designed the JSO program with high aspirations, we wanted to broaden our reach. We try hard to reach students from all parts of Australia so that we can select and train the very best students. Through the JSO Training Squad and JSO Academy we look to provide opportunities to all students, especially those who are traditionally underrepresented. We want to reach every single one of them, because there are hidden gems everywhere.”
“How do you know how good you are, until you get into a competition and compete?” asked Anna, “Representing Australia at the International Scientific Olympiads is an outstanding scientific achievement for these young people. While in Romania, they will compete against the best science students from around the world.”
“Making the Australian team is a big deal. This is the culmination of a cognitively stimulating and challenging journey,” she commended the students for excelling in the national qualifying exams, their dedication and hard work at Spring School, and hours of preparatory work before they head overseas to compete. “The effort you put in is a testament to your commitment, enthusiasm and and talent.”
Anna acknowledged that behind every successful team is the “cheer squads of support”, whose guidance and encouragement have “nurtured these young scientists, empowering them to explore the realms of knowledge”, expressing gratitude for their school teachers and the families. She praised the consistent efforts of the JSO Program Directors and team to “thoroughly prepare the students for their upcoming competition,” and recognised the work of the ASI office staff.
Anna’s parting words of wisdom, “Always follow that curiousity. If you have a question, ask it. There is no silly question. It’s about pushing those boundaries and learning.”
Guest Speaker, Professor Ian Chubb, AC, Patron of Australian Science Innovations, congratulated the team on their selection and recognised the effort and work that is required to make the team. He emphasised the importance of the six young scientists, as part of the generation which will make a difference to Australia’s future. “What we need is talent, we need people, and we need to nurture the talent.”
He implored them to not be afraid to “put yourself out there”. As he told the team, “Always remember to be curious, and that you can make a difference as an individual or part of a group.”
Co-Program Director, Dr Kathryn White, spoke of the dedication and talent of the exceptional students who were selected to represent Australia, who demonstrated a range of highly developed abilities from collaboration and teamwork, to scientific skills and knowledge. “One of the aspects of the IJSO that I really like is that students need to be genuine scientific all rounders.”
Kathryn noted,”The six students here today have earned their places in the team, and that is why we are celebrating them here this morning. These six, along with the other 18 students from Spring School, have a huge capacity to learn, and they show joy in doing it. We’ve pushed them really hard, and they’ve shown great resilience.” She thanked her colleagues, Co-Program Director, Dr Tammy Humphrey, and Deputy Program Director, Suren Mendis, who will also accompany the team to Romania.
The team have also been supported throughout the Junior Science Olympiad program by dedicated staff, supporters and sponsors, many who were in attendance to congratulate the team. It was a pleasure to welcome Kristina Bossi from Citadel Securities, and Ilario Priori from the Australian National University, to thank them for their ongoing support. Thank you also to Stile for providing the online teaching platform to support the Junior Science Olympiad program.
Thank you to families, friends and guests who supported the team by attending the ‘blazer ceremony’.
We are so proud of the Australian team and wish them well at the 2024 International Junior Science Olympiad.
You can read the 2024 IJSO Team profiles and see their photos.
You can view the Program Booklet here, which featured ‘Reach for the Stars (and beyond)’ artwork created for Australian Science Innovations by Sarah Richards, a Ngiyampaa woman whose lineage and experiences shape her unique artistic narrative.
